What’s your Mona Lisa?

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The Musée du Louvre in Paris houses over 35,000 pieces of art from pre-history through the Medieval and Renaissance eras on through the works of the 19th century Impressionists. It is widely regarded as the most inclusive collection of drawings, sculptures, paintings, objets d’art and archaeological finds in the world.

Mona_Lisa,_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci

Yet inevitably, when someone thinks of the Louvre, she is most likely to think of one particular piece: The Mona Lisa.

What is it that has made Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th century portrait of the wife of his good friend Francesco del Giocondo overshadow tens of thousands of breath-taking works of art? Because at some point, someone in authority at the Louvre decided to make the Mona Lisa the center of the Louvre experience.

While museum curators might argue there are 34,999 other reasons to visit the Louvre, it is the Mona Lisa that gets visitors through the turnstiles. The Mona Lisa makes the Louvre accessible.

One could spend literally days exploring the different galleries, grounds and exhibitions at the museum. Not many of the museum’s 15,000 daily visitors would have the patience or interest to do that. But the fact that they can see the Mona Lisa gives them reason to go, even if they spend only a few hours at the museum. The Mona Lisa represents a touchstone for the whole Louvre experience.

So what is the touchstone of your customers’ experience with you? Like the Louvre, you may be able to list several reasons for customers to engage with you. But what is the one that is your touchstone? The one thing that sticks with them after the experience has ended? The one that comes up in conversations they may have after the fact? The one that piques the interest of people who may know nothing about you?

Is your touchstone something within the product or service itself? Or is it in the way it is delivered or supported? Of all the features you have to offer customers, which one is the most meaningful, and offers the most value, to them?

Here’s the important part: once you figure out what your touchstone is, emphasize this above all else. Don’t succumb to the “there are a lot of other great things about us” trap. Sure, some of them may seem very appealing, just as the Venus de Milo or The Thinker would be appealing to museum goers.

But never forget, it’s the Mona Lisa that gets people to pull the trigger.

Republished with author's permission from original post.

Mickey Lonchar
Mickey Lonchar has spent the better part of two decades creating award-winning advertising with agencies up and down the West Coast, Mickey currently holds the position of creative director with Quisenberry Marketing & Design, a full-service advertising and interactive shop with offices in Spokane and Seattle, Wash.

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